Yes, she’s the mainstream country star who isn’t afraid to actually act and sing a little country, is fearless enough to actually have the audacity to say something with her music, and has found a way to be decorated by critics while still upholding enough of a commercial standard to be recognized by the CMA’s and ACM’s. But despite all your squinting to make Kacey Musgraves into what you want her to be, she invariably seems to fall just a little short, no matter what your perspective is.

Yes, this new single scheduled to be released on March 16th is country. And it’s kind of kitschy and cool, and cute in how it works. But take the structure and pentameter of Kacey’s much-decorated “Follow Your Arrow,” and the thematic formula of “The Trailer Song,” and viola, you pretty much have “Biscuits.”

It’s not that “Biscuits” is bad. Judging it in a vacuum, to hear a song like this on country radio would be welcomed, despite whatever poor first impressions some listeners might have. But do we really expect “Biscuits” to do well on radio? Variety is the spice of life, and Musgraves just doesn’t evidence enough of it here to get your motor running.

The first time you see the magician saw the lady in half your mind might be blown away. But if you see it enough, eventually you’ll start to yawn. “Biscuits” was written by the same Musgraves / Shane McAnally / Brandy Clark troika that we’ve seen in action now on numerous singles. All three are considered highly-lauded songwriters (McAnally’s intimate involvement with the Sam Hunt experiment notwithstanding), yet they all three can be fairly criticized for heavily leaning on a formulaic approach.

This is very curious material for a lead single from Kacey’s upcoming album, though a little bit bold at the same time. I’m convinced that a serious portion of country music’s female problem revolves around the selection of singles, and the choice of “Biscuits” plays right into that postulate. Music Row’s taste makers just don’t know what to do with women. ‘Biscuits” would be much better as a mood-shifting album cut right after a moving ballad, not the first impression listeners are going to get about a new record. The “Mind your own biscuits, then life will be gravy,” hook works a few times, but quickly becomes forgettable. This song just feels superfluous.

And why is the country music media focusing its attention on this song some two weeks out from its release, and before the general population even has a chance to hear the studio version? We got 11 more days to scratch off the calendar before it’s released, yet Saving Country Music is bringing up the caboose when it comes to voicing an opinion. Soon we’ll need spoiler alerts for our favorite artists’ singles.

“Biscuits” is a cute song. And it’s also a sign Mercury Nashville has no clue what to do with Kacey Musgraves. And maybe Kacey Musgraves doesn’t know what to do with Kacey Musgraves either. Or maybe like Kacey says in the song, “If you ain’t got nothin’ nice to say, Don’t say nothin’ at all.” Yeah sorry Kacey, but even the kindergartener in me feels like this line is canned.

1 1/4 of 2 guns up.

– – – – – – – – – –

A live version, because the studio one keeps getting yanked. Because you know, it’s not out yet.

99 Comments

Jim Bob
March 5, 2015 @
8:27 pm

Yeah, that’s not great. That line “mind your own biscuits, then life’ll be gravy” isn’t quite as catchy and clever as I think she thinks it is. Then again-full disclosure-I’ve never understood this whole Kacey Musgraves obsession. Sure, she’s a bit better than the rest of the mainstream, but that’s a pretty low bar to begin with. I couldn’t even get through all of “follow your own arrow.” Then again, I’ll never begrudge anyone for enjoying music (especially when it has any guns up on Trigger’s site!)-to each their own I suppose. Hell, if we all liked exactly the same music and artists, then where the hell’s the fun in that?

I’ll reserve judgment til the studio version comes out. The lyricist in me thinks the lyricist in her is better than this, though.

Is the establishment still enamored…or are they ready to move on to Mickey Guyton? I dunno.

Living so far outside the bubble and just struggling along on pennies and dimes from shows, I don’t know much about the machine. Seems like staying power isn’t a trait often found in the media darlings these days. Will Nash continue to prop her up, or will she fade because she hasn’t found which arrow to follow?

I am not a fan of Kasey Musgraves at all. I can’t deny her songwriting talent on some of her work…but her voice just doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t understand why in 2013 the critics loved her and she got those Grammys…
This song…I agree it reminds me of follow your arrow…truth be told I’ve never even heard Trailer song, so can’t compare with that one, but it seems to me she is trying to hard.

I think she won those awards in part by saying things the critics wanted to hear. Her culturally liberal lyrics impressed the leftist New York Times and NPR types who wanted to use her as a example to put the rest of the country genre in its place. Yes, she has written some good songs, but if she had been a cultural conservative with the same musical style I doubt she would have won as many awards.

Of course she wouldn’t be getting an awards if she was singing songs reinforcing the cultural status quo.

She writes clever, catchy songs that aren’t afraid to be about something, sings them well, and isn’t quite like anything else on country radio. Of course people who like every musical element of country music and enjoy lyrics focused songwriting but can’t stand the “My truck’s two bumper stickers are of the Stars and Bars and Jesus/Why don’t city slickers get how awesome the country is” element that pervades modern country music are voting for her.

She actually isn’t even liberal, her guitar case sports Ron Paul and “Don’t steal, the government hates competition” stickers…she is a libertarian if anything. And her politics have nothing to do with her award wins. If anything, her politics are probably why she ended up not finding much commercial success sadly. But the reason she won the awards is due to her incredibly unique country album “Same Trailer, Different Park”. It’s a gem from beginning to end. And deserving of every award won and then some.

Whoa! You mean to tell me that Kacey Musgraves likes marihuana and homosexuals? She even thinks that rural life isn’t all roses and sunshine either? I literally cringed at the “smoke your own smoke” line. Marihuana is to Kacey Musgraves as Fireball is to Florida Georgia Line. I really want to like Musgraves, but I simply can’t.

A little off-topic, but has anyone heard Eric Church’s new song dedicated to his grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s? It is extremely well written and I believe there are a few videos floating around on YouTube

“Marihuana is to Kacey Musgraves as Fireball is to Florida Georgia Line.”

My sentiments exactly. As marijuana use becomes more culturally mainstream I fully expect to hear more general references to pot in contemporary music, but it seems to have become as much of a crutch to her as tailgates are to Luke Bryan so it would be hypocritical to criticize one and not the other.

And those who believe she’s breaking some kind of new ground by including pot references in her songs apparently have never heard of Jim Stafford, George Frayne a/k/a Commander Cody, Charlie Daniels, Johnny Paycheck, or Hank Williams, Jr., among others.

Song is boring…yet I bet I will read a bunch of praising articles from all the country blogs. Ugh…I feel like they are forcing Kacey on us. i understand we need more women on country radio, but Kacey isn’t the answer. I have seen her live, she is not good live and has zero stage presence.

I would disagree that we need more women on radio. We just need more actual country on radio, and I couldn’t care less who’s singing it. I love Patsy Kline and Loretta Lynn as much as the next person, but I honestly never cared that they were women in country-I cared that they had beautiful voices singing amazing songs. I really don’t understand this sexist crap going around-man, woman, or other, if you make good country music then I’m good with you.

In terms of variety, I would like more women on the radio. Not in a sexist way, just something different. (I mean all of the top 40 is a problem maybe 1 or 2 country artists on there with talent and the rest will be nobodies or pop stars in a few years.)

The most important things to me are the lyrics, I want to hear a song and have some sort of feelings toward it, I want to relate to it one way or another….I can’t relate to the songs the men now sing about(i doubt anyone can) but its nice to listen to the female perspective once in awhile. If I go through a breakup, I want to hear a women side of a breakup not a man trying to win her back or man grieving. If I am having a sad day, I want to hear an empowering song, showing me that I’m not alone(ie: Bathroom Sink – Miranda Lambert). Songs with powerful stories that I can’t relate to(ie: In Color -JJ) I don’t care if your man or women..I’d enjoy it either way, its just a good story. It may be stupid, but thats what I look for.
I do agree with the overplayed ‘The problem is women are out there making real country music, yet they don’t get played.’ There are men out there making real country music and they don’t get played….

We need both more country and women and they go hand in hand since most of the best country songs and albums of the year are from women. Only about 10% of the songs country radio plays have female voices, which is terribly low, and they aren’t playing most of the best women with singles being and wanting to be worked to radio. I need to hear more song theme/lyrical variety and about 50% male and 50% female songs and voices on the radio or I switch stations or turn it off. Pop radio does this and country radio doesn’t even come close. Hearing 90% male voices or cookie cutter songs about the same bullshit (trucks, drinking, and trying to get laid (bro-country)) gets old quick. Some of their entire albums are about the same shit. FGL is the Nickelback of country and a bunch of other bros (Pennybacks) try to copy them like rappers copy each other with lyrics about sex, drugs, violence and cars. I don’t even need to relate to a song and just want to hear something more original and different than drive truck, drink, hey girl, and try to get laid. And most of the original country songs with varied themes come from women. Most of the best singers are women. Some of the men radio constantly plays annoy the hell out of me with their whiny, rough, off key, zero range voices and auto-tune.

I agree that this song is a retread of themes that’s she’s already done well and I’m not wild about the biscuits and gravy line, but I disagree that she’s not a good performer. We saw her last summer and were impressed and I was even a little surprised to be so impressed. Maybe she was having an especially good night and maybe she just particularly enjoyed Maine, but she won over the audience who was actually mainly there to see Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson. Her voice was clear and strong and she interacted very well with the crowd.

To the person who questioned who was a good songwriter amongst this trio, I’d say Brandy Clark indeed!

Not a real fan of this song, but to each as own. Wish Kasey would release songs like the ones that she had in Texas before she made it to Nashville such as Back To Texas, they just seem more clear and less forced than this. Still nice to hear over anything else really the radio is playing.

Don’t like it. Don’t like her either, but I tried to listen to it with an open mind. Even thought its only a live version, I doubt I will like the studio.
I don’t find the hook ‘Mind your own biscuts, and your life with be gravy’ line at all catchy, I personally think its rather stupid. I agree with other comments, Kacey is trying way to hard and its not working for her.

I agree, It is strange to have so much press about a song, and then by the time it comes out, everyone would have forgotten about it. I am not a Kacey Musgraves fan…like at all, so my negative feelings toward her might be in the way of my own opinions of this song, but I think the song itself lyric wise falls flat, especially with the three of them…I feel like they tried to hard on this track. Brandy is talented, but I don’t like how some put her on a pedastle. She is a good songwriter and an okay singer(IMO) nothing over the top good. Kacey to me a good songwriter, but horrible singer/performer, plus her attitude could be put in check. and Shane, I’m sick of seeing his name everywhere…Nashville is in need of new songwriters. Between him and Clawson…ugh. Wow..I am negative today. Sorry about that.
I will admit I am curious to see the production of it. I think her label will try and push it to radio, but it will not be a #1 I doubt even in the top 15. I really wish they would stop with her already….I am all for more women, but the ones Nashville are trying to plug suck.

Personally, I love the studio version, it’s got a nice steel solo. I’d give it 1 3/4 guns up. I hope her next album has at least a few songs better than this one, but I think it works as a radio-friendly single.

“I think I heard a banjo solo too. There goes any shot of it making it on country radio.”

“I Could Drink To That All Night” is playing at someone’s desk in my office and I notice it has some banjo so it’s not a lost cause. I guess it doesn’t have a banjo solo, though, so maybe that makes a difference.

The studio version is better than this and I imagined it would be. I especially love all the steel, which some of us complained was too subdued or barely there on her last album and now it’s not. I can already hear the pop-lovers running radio going, “what’s that steel guitar, we can’t play this,” but steel and fiddle is exactly what I want and expect hear on country radio. The bottom line is this song is pretty great and country radio will forever suck until they get some gender balance and play Kacey, Kellie Pickler, Ashley Monroe, and more of the most talented and critically-acclaimed country artists to #1 and keep more women in the top 20 like the men.

Do you also think that all the critics who praise Kacey’s work are that shallow as well? I suppose you must think that you are somehow above all the experts in your ability to fairly judge female artists.

As I have said in other comments, I like Kacey – I dig her perspective, her attitude, and her kitschy country style. I perceive her as having potential – not to be a “great” artist per se, but possibly to be a really good songwriter.

Clearly, this is a rehashing of themes. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing: a lot of great country artists have reworked certain signature themes. As the review said, this would be acceptable as an album track, but I expect more form an album’s lead single.

As with Ashley Monroe, I’m reserving judgement on the album til it’s released.

Musgraves is an example of folks grabbing onto anything that is “not as bad” as the rest of country radio. It’s hyped as being good because of the poor quality of it’s peers. But put her in the context of some real, timeless talent that has come along, she’s exposed as a little girl trying on her mama’s clothes. Credible singer/songwriters/artists who’ve successfully navigated the mainstream, such as Dwight Yoakam, Suzy Bogguss, Dixie Chicks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Hal Ketchum, Radney Foster, Travis Tritt, Marty Stuart, etc. She’s a pretender among this level of talent. Her idea of what is credible is immature and misguided, her vocal styling is lazy, and her overall delivery is bland. She’s made it clear that the rural/small town life is too small and backward for her, she’s seen the other side and won’t get trapped like all of those people who came before her. She’s also a champion of gay rights. Swell. But she didn’t invent homosexualtiy in Nashville. Nor is she the first to record or co-write with gays in Nashville. I applaud Trigger for calling this song what it is and hopefully bringing attention to the fact that Kacey Musgraves is not ready to move country in another direction. I’d argue that she needs to go to the woodshed and get her writing and musical chops on par with her looks. Then she might have some real credibility.

I’m not the one who can’t get over it. I don’t care what she looks like. See above where I mentioned Mary Chapin Carpenter? Not exactly a sex symbol, but an artist myself and thousands of others admire and use a measuring stick. So clearly looks aren’t much to me when it comes to music. The commercial establishment cares what she looks like. Not me or anyone else looking for sounds of authenticity. Please take your false outrage and channel it into something worthwhile.

Given how lauded Kacey is by the critics (including heterosexual female critics), you also seem to think that their judgment is clouded by her looks.

You are also forgetting about two important factors in the music industry:

1) Country music is much more heavily radio-based than any other genre, and so looks automatically matter less there.

2) It is very easy to look conventionally attractive simply with the right make-up and keeping one’s weight in control.

Finally, I have found that the self-proclaimed artists who post on SCM often make the most bitter commenters. I suppose that they resent their lack of fame and many of them try to justify that away as being a result of something non-artistic (like looks) as opposed to a lack of artistic talent or accessibility. One thing is certain: bitter envy will get you nowhere.

This is all I have left to say on this:
1) If looks don’t matter commercially, then why the need for makeup and weight control ?
2) If looks don’t matter commercially, then who are the conventionally UN-attractive female artists in country music today?
3) If looks don’t matter commercially, then why do record labels blow money on clothes, stylists, dental work, etc.?
4) If looks don’t matter commercially, then why do we ever even see these artists outside of live performances?
5) If looks don’t matter commercially, then why didn’t Bruce Robison’s version of “Angry All the Time” go to #1? Why did it take Tim McGraw and his conventionally very attractive wife singing it for it to be marketable? It would’ve been a lot cheaper and easier for the label to just promote Bruce’s album with that song on it. It had been in existence for years at the time that single came out. You can insert any number of songwriters into this blank. If the music was all that mattered, then there wouldn’t be much need for so-called marketable images to be vehicles for songs that are someone else’s creation.

Notice that I’m not just talking about looks mattering for women? It’s the same for men in the business. There’s a reason that Sam Hunt has a record deal and it has zero to do with talent. I think you misunderstood my point about KM. I have an opinion on her music. I don’t think it’s that great. I think if you sat her down in between a 25-year-old Bonnie Raitt and a 25-year-old Lori McKenna, she’d be taken to school musically. That’s my benchmark. I remember a time when the mainstream industry would market and embrace very average looking country artists. Those days are long gone. The industry is sexist, not me. I make my call based on what I hear.

P.S.- Who cares what music critics say? They’re beholden to the industry as well. And thank you for pointing out that I did not say that I was an artist. I’m a regular guy with a family, bills to pay, and a blue collar job that I love. But I’ve been hanging on every word of good music that I’ve heard for almost 40 years. And I appreciate the friendly banter. We can still be pals even if we disagree.

Very few women in music are of model-level beauty or even close. As for country music, the most important woman in the genre right now, Miranda Lambert, attained fame without even fitting the Western thinness beauty standard. Nonetheless, as with any industry that involves publicity, the women (and men) themselves want to maximize their perceived beauty through make-up, hence the money spent on stylists.

As with Tim McGraw taking “Angry All The Time” to #1 instead of Bruce Robison, this is to be expected since Tim was much more well-known already than Bruce.

Also, arguing that critics who write in magazines are bought off by the industry is a pretty bold claim that should not be made without evidence.

I don’t know why Kacey Musgraves just keeps recycling the same theme into basically every single she puts out. It was really fresh on Merry Go Round, it was OK on trailer song, it was getting really old on Follow Your Arrow, and now it’s just stale and overcooked.

Nailed it. I agree it’s a cute song, and I hope the rest of Kacey’s album is in a similarly somewhat traditional vein.

I guess I could see why she or her label might be inclined to put out a single that sounds so much like other songs of hers people already know and like; but this really does seem more like a fun throwaway-novelty usually reserved for fans who buy the album (who might appreciate it more) than something that’ll actually get noticed on radio.

I’m still perplexed at all the raving reviews that Kacey continues to get. Thanks for keeping it real Trigger. To me she is a fairly mediocre artist that is using her music as a platform to push her personal agenda. It doesn’t really matter if you agree with it or not, it just gets a little tired after awhile. “Biscuits” lyrics are particularly uninspired, trite and cliche. Maybe she thinks she is more clever than she really is. It’s just hard for me to understand how three experienced song writers can put their heads together and this is the best they manage. Of course, that’s the same problem of all the mainstream country out there right now – just zero depth.

I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but I like this song, the way I see it there’s about four demographics in country music overall, there’s subsets of each part but there’s four main ones, you have the underground demographic, that’s most people on this sire, they listen to mainly underground country music, no unifying characteristic beyond that, then you have the bros, soccer moms and other mainstream fans, they listen to mainstream country music, they like bro count edm country and pop country, outside of that nothing unifies them, then you have the “rougher” counter culture like Eric church they consider him an outlaw and are his loyal fans generally they’re young and male and can in some respects be compared to the bros, they hate them though because the bros are well bros, they also hate the following group as they consider them soft or weird, and hate the underground as they consider tgemhipsters. Finally you have the “softer counterculture, they like artists who are both in mainstream and underground, they like kacey Musgrave’s, Miranda Lambert dierks Bentley, and the like, they for the most part dont care about studios PR hall of fames or those kinds of things as they consider them distacd and irrelevant they just care about getting good music, they feel country music needs to evolve but not in the way its going, they often prefer streaming or mp3 for one reason, cost, its cheaper and they’re often young and low on money, they’re often young and can be classed as socially liberal, and yes some smoke weed, kacey is merely catering to her fan base when she sings about weed, most artists don’t care about what people outside younger demographics think as they’re not the ones buying music and attending concerts, and while younger fans don’t buy cd’s, they do go to concerts where artists make the majority of their money, that’s the target demographic

a solid breakdown here mike . pop music success ( country or otherwise ) will always be fueled to some extent by a young demographic . its good to keep in mind that to a young demographic , kasey’s music is VERY fresh in themes , viewpoints rhymes , and MELODY compared to most of the ‘country ” music that demographic has been exposed to thus far in their lives . sure some of this territory has been trodden back in the day …..but again …in these times it is a fresh voice singing about varied themes in a fresh way .

In terms of money making demographics, to be honest that subset of fans really doesn’t they’re not a moneymaking demographic on their own, that’s not a criticism but you don’t see the artists that they like releasing CD’s and doing tours in a scale of any of the other demographics artist’s, in terms of an overall demographic, due to the fact that many also support the modern day underground country music art it’s and are often a subset of that demographic I would put them together.

I like Kacey, her music and personality is a nice alternative to what we normally hear from mainstream artists and their music, but I am kind of bored with this song as well. It is far from terrible, but I agree with Trigger, this feels like an album cut through and through and makes for a pretty weak lead single.

I have absolutely no problem with this song. It’s a fun little sing along that’s unmistakably country and has a chance to regain the momentum at radio that she lost with “Blowin’ Smoke” and “Follow Your Arrow.” Not everything has to be deep and complex the way a lot of commenters here seem to expect of every single release by every artist.

You’re right. Red Solo Cup is an extremely fun song. It’s catchy, and consciously dumb to the point where it’s subversive. I’ve really come around on it since absolutely hating it when it was released.

Well, I think there are good and bad examples of every type of song, including lighthearted, singalong-style songs.

I actually found “Red Solo Cup” kind of amusing when I first heard it, despite the fact that I think Toby Keith is a giblet-head. Hey, at least it was something different. Then, by the time it was being nominated for Song of the Year and Video of the Year awards, I was utterly sick of it.

Is it me or does Brandy Clark write diffrent for/with others than she does for herself? The song she wrote for Toby Keith is similar to me. It’s faries and rainbows on the stuff she puts on others albums but on hers it is almost the opposite.

As for the whole “liberal” thing. That ususly keeps people off country radio like for instence Brandy and Willie Nelson. So I dont see the argument there.

Yes, but Hank Jr. is a 65-year-old with a Boomer fan base whose career peaked in the 1980s, not an 81-year-old with a much smaller and older Silent Generation fan base whose career peaked in the 1970s.

Having said that, even grouping folks into broad categories like “liberals” and “conservatives,” seems reductive in many ways.

All I’m saying is, I don’t think popular country music seems particularly political at this point, and I don’t think Brandy Clark’s alleged political views are what has kept her off mainstream country radio up to this point.

Spot on review. “But take the structure and pentameter of Kacey”™s much-decorated “Follow Your Arrow,” and the thematic formula of “The Trailer Song,” and viola, you pretty much have “Biscuits.” I had the same reaction.

Firstly, to be frank, we know Musgraves is better than this at this point. Granted she’s only on her sophomore major label album and, thus, it would be unfair to begrudge her for being predictable when many of her peers are well past five albums deep in their careers and have continued to trot out the same pedestrian sludge.

Still, when you take into consideration her most audacious and fearless song happened to be her debut single (“Merry Go ‘Round”)…………….this feels so tame and formulaic in comparison. Lines like “pissing in someone else’s lawn” smack as forced intensifers to remind listeners how edgy and badass she is when we already now she’s badass without their usage.

Much like Eric Church, like it or not, Kacey Musgraves is trying to have it both ways with denying she’s going to let style or labels define her, yet at the same time she tends to allow herself to be marketed as such. Granted Musgraves was quoted for saying that she knows she has drilled that individualism theme into the ground but she just felt she had to cut this song when introducing this live, so she appears self-aware that she is Xeroxing “Follow Your Arrow” here………………but I can’t help but expect more.

*

Secondly, while I can see this become a Top Ten on the mongrel chart due to the fanboy (or fangirl) effect off of digital sales, I can’t see this being the song that will break her out more officially at radio.

Thus, that leaves me with the question: “Who is this for, exactly?” If she’s not going to lure new fans with this, and if country radio isn’t going to take the bait, then is it just something to hope to sinew the fans she has already gained?

*

This is by no means a bad song, but I’m underwhelmed all the same.

I’m still hoping that all the time she spent with Katy Perry on tour recently will prove the best of both worlds for both entertainers. I’m hoping Perry has instilled Musgraves with the knowledge in tightening her hooks and making them more strident for greater viability, while Musgraves has inspired Perry to dig deeper as a songwriter. Instead, while “Biscuits” has strong technical songwriting, it feels like a reversion to formula lyrically.

The song is okay. I like her music enough but I really hope her next album has more energy. The songs were really starting to sound the same. I’m always hoping for another Merry Go Round from her. That song aptly described my entire hometown.

Most successful new mainstream artists do repeat their message frequently and record multiple songs that are similar. That is what it takes to build a mainstream brand. So I don’t have a problem with Kacey repeating her themes in different songs. I’m just not impressed with the message that she chose.

I do strongly believe that individuals should have the right to make their own decisions about whether to marry a partner of the same sex, or whether to smoke pot. But when an artist constantly wears the marijuana theme on her sleeve, as if to say “look at me, I’m so cool”, she comes across as trying too hard to use marijuana as a fashion statement. And my support for legalization not withstanding, using marijuana as a fashion statement is just idiotic and immature.

And Kacey’s other theme about how boring and frustrating small town life is isn’t exactly original either. Just the other day I heard the beginning of Kelly Clarkson’s hit “Breakaway”:

“Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I’d just stare out my window”

I thought the sentiments expressed in the lyrics were awfully similar to Kacey’s.

I just want Kacey to write ONE story song. Just one. Instead of relying on metaphors and puns (Merry Go Round, Biscuits, Follow Your Arrow, Step Off, Dandelion, Silver Lining, Blowin’ Smoke, My House, Trailer Song, Stupid) like pretty much everything she’s put out that falls under that category. Probably her only GREAT songwriting song is “It Is What It Is” and you have to wait until the end of the album to hear it.

Perhaps you’re right, but at the same time she’s risking falling into a creative shell where every song sounds the same and is about the same thing, making the same “clever” puns. I think by continuing to release songs like this she’s limiting herself creatively. Maybe it’s not right to pressure her to change, but she’s capable of so much more. Then again, maybe she’s not and this is her niche. I just don’t think its sustainable.

is not a story song. In the first verse she describes what’s happening around the guy at that moment, in the second she sings about what he previously heard, and in the third she throws in a hypothetical. Nothing happens in the song except her telling her ex to leave her alone. Which is fine, the first verse from her is my favorite of any song she’s written, but I want to hear one tell a whole story.

Yes, it’s not fantastic but I think as far as country-radio goes it’s a goodn’. As for “people clinging to ‘not-bad'”- True, however I must stress that at least this is a step in the right direction. In fact it’s a wise game to play from Kacey- slowly work country-radio until steel-guitars and decent lyrics become the norm. It’s a start and hopefully she will re-boot a trend of better country. Lord knows we need it.

I LOVE it Kasey! I guess because there is a lot more to the message than some want to dig in to! I may be a little deep, but if we all took care of our own ‘things’ we would all be better servers of this world! Cute, catchy – lifted me up with a huge smile driving down the road! Keep up the awesome work – Be YOU!

First, I do like this song, but, yes, it is similar to several other songs she has co-written. Thus, I would like to see her go deeper into story telling as well with some songs, as some posts noted. However, I do want to say she is a terrific musician and performer. I’ve seen her several times and she’s never disappointed me, and, I feel each time I’ve seen her, she’s gotten more comfortable on stage, more connected with her audience, and, always, is effectively consistent with her vocals and instrument playing. At one show I attended, someone shouted out a song he wanted her to play, and she was about to go into something else by herself, this was for an encore (and she did about 5-6 songs for her encore, a few by herself, a few with her band). However, she stopped, attended to this comment, and explained the song he wanted to hear and then played some lines from it–very spontaneous, but so well done. The audience loved this impromptu moment. Also, watch the interaction with her and John Prine in a round on the Cayamo Cruise and you’ll see she can hold her own–vocally, musically, and conversationally. I don’t think she’s a one trick pony, but I want her to take some risks I know she’s capable of taking–more narrative-based songs, including songs with new co-write collaborations and/or songs written solo. I hope her next album showcases some risk-taking. I won’t let this one song cloud my judgment.